Gaming machines typically allow a player a chance to win cash or merchandise for engaging in a game of chance. The player inserts money and pulls a handle, pushes a button or otherwise activates the gaming machine. The game of chance occurs and a winning or a losing play occurs.
In traditional reel slot machines, no player intervention occurs after the insertion of the money and the activation of the game. The reels spin, come to stop and the gaming machine displays the results of the reel spin. Whether the gaming machine is purely mechanical, electro-mechanical or purely electronic, the basic gaming function is the same: wins or losses are determined by random without any skill exercised by the player. Once the outcome has been determined, the player collects if he has won and the gaming machine is ready for another new play.
There have been modifications proposed to traditional reel slot machines. Reel slot machines have been designed that permit the player to "hold" one or more the reels from the first play and respin the unheld reels in an attempt to achieve a winning combination. Reel slot machines have been designed that permit the player to "step" one or more of the reels from the first play up or down a reel stop position to attempt to improve the combinations on the reels and create a winning play. These types of modifications allow the player an additional interaction with the outcome of the game, but such interaction is limited to a selection process by the player that is still dependent on the random operation of the gaming machine.
Video poker (in its various form of draw poker, wild card poker and stud poker) is another widespread gaming machine. The gaming device displays cards from a standard deck of playing cards and winning and losing combinations are determined according to standard poker hand ranking. In video poker, the player inserts money and pushes a button to activate the gaming machine. The selection of cards for the player's hand is determined at random by the electronics of the gaming machine. In the stud versions of video poker, the player has no input over the selection of the cards and the winning and losing combinations are purely random. In the draw versions of video poker, the player can select which cards to "hold" and then new cards are determined randomly by the electronics and displayed to the player.
Distinct from games of chance such as reel slot machines and video poker, there have been developed amusement games that rely on the skill of the player to effect the desired outcome and to create a winning play. Many years ago, pinball machines were developed in which a steel ball is propelled around a generally horizontal playing surface. As the ball hits targets, rolls over buttons, drops into holes and passes through slots, the player earns points that are accumulated as his score. The skill of the player in manipulating the flippers to propel the ball around the playing surface is the most significant factor in achieving a high score.
The development of microelectronics resulted in the creation of electronic video amusement games in which the mechanical elements of pinball were replaced by electronic displays. The player was required to manipulate an electronic blip around a playing surface to accumulate points. Again, the skill of the player was the main factor in how high the total of points would be.
The present invention is directed at combining the features of gaming devices that rely on the random determination of winning and losing plays with the skill-dependent features of amusement devices. The player's winning opportunities is dependent not only on a random event but also the skill of the player. Players who can successfully manipulate the skill feature of the gaming machine will achieve more winning opportunities than the players who are less skilled at that feature of the gaming machine.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a gaming machine that increases the player's opportunity to achieve a winning combination by utilizing the skill of the player as a component of the play of the gaming machine.
It is a feature of the present invention to combine in a single gaming machine both a random game feature (such as a reel slot machine) with a skill game feature (such as pinball-type game) that permits the player the opportunity to use his skill at manipulating a ball on a playing surface to reactivate the random game for another chance at achieving a winning combination.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the player will have an improved chance of winning by using his skill on the skill feature of the gaming machine to reactivate the random feature of the gaming machine. Thus the player can win not only from the original play of the random game feature but also from an additional play of the random game feature activated by his skillful manipulation of play on the playing field of the skill feature. Additionally, the player can also win "bonus" amounts, based on a posted schedule, from the play of the skill feature. Finally, the gaming machine of the present invention can be configured to utilize a progressive jackpot feature associated with the skill feature of the game.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.